Northern Ireland strike: Newtownabbey mum of boy with special needs says strike caused 'four meltdowns' at home

She was speaking as a major public sector strike over pay parity with GB closed schools right across Northern Ireland today.

"I'm ready to march to Stormont myself and take the place down," Sarah told the News Letter, after her son had his fourth “meltdown” of the day.

She agrees with the strike because of the "disgraceful conditions" that educators are expected to work in.

"But my point is about the people in power who aren't currently working; Are they simply going to decide to go back to work because of this strike?

"Because unless they do that, these strikes were pointless.”

Sarah had to ask for yet another day off work to look after Ethan and her other two children due to yesterday's strike.

"I know it was planned action, but we have had four meltdowns today as a result and he will doubtless not sleep tonight. It doesn't make it any easier to continuously tell your boss that you are sorry, but you can't come into work today."

Education unions have planned another three days of action in the near future.

Almost 30,000 pupils across NI who are officially recognised as having special needs will be among the most impacted.

Emma Morgan, a Board Member of advocacy group SEN (Special Educational Needs) Reform NI, fully supports the right of teachers and support staff to pay parity with the rest of the UK.

However she is concerned about ongoing strikes. “This will cause significant upheaval for some of the most vulnerable children,” she said. “We are urging the Education Authority, political leaders and unions to find a solution to this situation."

The Teacher's Negotiation Council (TNC) Management said it asked unions to exempt special schools from yesterday’s strike action, but was turned down.

(The TNC consists of the Education Authority, Governing Bodies Association, Coalition for Inclusive Education, Conradh na Gaeilge, Council For Catholic Maintained Schools and Department of Education).

A TNC spokesperson said the strike resulted in “widespread school closures impacting the vast majority of pupils, including some of our most vulnerable, marginalised, and deprived children and young people".

All staff deserve to be paid a fair rate, it added, however "budgetary challenges facing education have to date made this impossible".

The News Letter asked unions about the impact of the strike on children with special needs.Jacquie White, General Secretary of the UTU, said: “As our special needs sector struggles, the growing number of children here with increasing mental, physical, psychological, behavioural and educational needs are being left behind. No-one wants to be forced to strike – least of all staff in that sector – but sadly they see day and daily the impact that a decade of cuts is having on these, our most vulnerable.”

The National Education Union responded that responsibility for disruption "lies solely with the political failure to secure a pay deal for educators".